Guns using pneumatic force to propel a projectile are well known. Typically, a volume of compressed gas, such as carbon dioxide gas, is suddenly released into a barrel that contains the projectile. The expansion of the released gas propels the projectile through the barrel at relatively high velocity. In the recreational sport of paintball, the projectile is spherical and frangible, and contains a colored liquid or gel material which leaves a mark on the target upon the projectile's impact with the target. Such guns are referred to as paintball markers.
A typical paintball marker design has a body which houses and interconnects several pneumatic components. The body may contain a number of bores that communicate with each other. One bore may contain and distribute pressurized gas. Another bore (that is parallel to the other) may contain a compressed gas storage chamber, as well as mechanisms for filling the storage chamber with gas and releasing gas from the storage chamber to fire a projectile. Yet another bore may contain mechanisms for loading and launching the projectile. Electrically operated pneumatic flow distribution devices are added that are sequentially energized by a timing circuit, to enable the loading of a projectile and to release compressed gas to fire the projectile.
Conventional paintball marker designs have sought to provide reliable and consistent performance in loading and firing paintballs. Such attempts, however, have resulted in designs that may be overly complicated, leading to questionable reliability as well as higher manufacturing costs.